Stitches
by M J Azilem
Summary: What happens right after the Suns come back out. It's time to get down to business. Glitch, Cain, and all the others are ready to start a new, but it's never as simple as 'the witch melted'. Startes right after the mini. Please read and Review thank you
1. Chapter 1

I don't own anything.

Stitches 

The Suns were back in there place. The witch was dead. The Queen was free. Her Husband and daughters was back by her side. She knew as she looked out over the kingdom with her family that they had a great deal of work a head of them. It was going to take all their combined power to put the O. Z. back together, to make it better then it ever was before.

She would have happily stared out the window at the land she never thought she'd see again but she felt DG move away from her. The girl was never one for standing still for too long. The Queen decided it was best to follow suit. Nothing would get done if they did not get started. She addressed DG more than anyone else. "Right, we need to round up all the long coats and all those in the castle who are loyal to the witch."

DG nodded. "Maybe some of them were under a spell, maybe it's broken now that the witch is gone."

"It's possible my dear we'll have to see. We'll also need to collect the rebels and thank them for their great work here today, and ask if they will assume the role of guards of the castle until we can determine our allies and enemies with in the Kingdom."

"I'll take care of that your majesty." Cain addressed her with his hat is his hand.

The Queen's gaze turned sharply to the tin man. Cain thought the look suggested shock. It was as if she hadn't noticed that anyone else was in the room.

The Queen's concentration was broken; she looked at the man that had spoken to her. Her gaze softened when she realized he was speaking sincerely. He looked like one of the rebels, rugged and rough.

"Oh hum…Mom, this is Cain, he's a friend of mine." DG started.

"Yes, thank you Cain is it?"

"Wyatt Cain Majesty." Cain stood up as straight as he could with his shoulder throbbing.

"Well Mr. Cain, if you can get the rebels together I would greatly appreciate that, gather them in the great hall, so we can thank them and make further arrangements." Cain nodded and then bowed slightly and turned to leave.

The queen watched as the rebel and his two companions went to perform the task she had set. The queen turned back to address her daughter. DG's eyes were following the three men. She seemed to be thinking hard about something.

"Hey Glitch wait." DG ran to the last of the men just before he'd followed the other two out the door.

The Queen watched as the Rebel with the wild hair and tattered clothes stopped and turned back to DG. He had a zipper down the middle of his head. The Queen cringed this man had had half of his brain removed. He may have been a criminal. Her daughter was consorting with criminals; the Queen knew that desperate times called for desperate measures. She'd have to make sure that DG learned that such things would not be an everyday occurrence for a princess.

The man spoke with DG in a soft voice, he smiled, and then looked perplexed and then smiled again. The Queen caught bits of the conversation, something about "your brain" and "seer"; The Queen's eyes kept getting drawn back to the zipper on top of the man's head. She knew that it was very rude of her to continue looking at it, but she couldn't help herself.

She avert her eyes and found herself studying the man's coat, it was in bad shape. It was as if this man had worn it everyday for years, the coat looked familiar. It could be any coat, but this one had been fancy, it had had golden cords and knots. Perhaps the man had been in a marching band, perhaps he'd stolen it off a man who'd been in a marching band. The Queens mind wondered back threw the years…had she seen a marching band with gold jackets?

When the Queen looked up next the man was gone and DG was talking to her. "I'm sorry about that Mom I need to see if Glitch had found his brain. They did find it; it was upstairs connected to the machine. Cain was going to shoot it at one point but Glitch remembered about the sunseeder."

Sunseeder was a word the Queen had not heard in a long time. Her memories jumped back years to a time she would have liked to forget because it was filled with hurt. But she remembered there had been a light in her life then.

Ambrose had kept her going after she'd lost both her daughters and her husband. He'd been the one who'd kept her focused on the kingdom. He'd been wise beyond his young years. He'd been her highest council. He'd been her surrogate son. She'd thought about him over the years, she was sure the witch must have killed him for his defiance.

"Oh Ambrose." She sighed quietly. "Oh dear what were you saying? Who was that man who remembered the sunseeder?"

DG just looked at her mother with wide eyes. "Ambrose."

The Queen looked quizzically at the young woman thinking that DG was asking who Ambrose was. "He was my adviser in the time after you'd left dear."

DG now looked at her mother quizzically. "Yeah I know?"

"You know, how could you know?" DG had never know Ambrose when she was a little girl.

"Because the man that I was just talking to Glitch. He's Ambrose." DG explained.

"Oh my. OH my!" The Queen's eyes got wide like DG's and her royal composure was shattered. "That was Ambrose, Why didn't he say anything? I didn't even recognize him. It's been years. Oh how awful. Why didn't he say anything? We have to find him."

The Queen took DG by the hand and walked swiftly towards the door and the direction the three rebels left in. She turned back over her shoulder.

"Az darling, Ahamo, could you both look around and make sure those flying bat monkey things are gone."


	2. two

Stitches 2

DG never would have expected this from Lavender eyes. The Queen was on a mission. It was very interesting to see. Where she had stood back and let her daughters come to her, she went after Ambrose. DG wasn't sure how she should feel about that.

"So you say the witch had half of his brain removed?" The Queen lamented. He had always been so brilliant. She smiled a little brilliant and absentminded. When ever he'd gotten deep into a project or research he'd become very forgetful. She'd had to look after him then.

It was one of her great regrets that she had not been able to protect him from the witch. She had thought he was dead, but he was not. She had always known he was strong. He was a fighter.

"And he's been helping you?" The Queen asked as they hurried threw the halls trying to catch up. DG was distracted by the bodies of unconscious long coats that she had to step over.

"Hum yes he's been helping me remember my past. And he was key in helping to stop the witch." DG smiled slightly.

"He was always a great help to me." The Queen smiled warmly.

"Mom you do realize that he's not the same Ambrose. I just don't want you to be hurt." The Queen slowed a little.

"What do you mean?"

"They took half his brain out Mom, he couldn't be the same. He's a great guy a great friend. But he's not the man you knew, that's probably why he didn't say anything. He knows he's not Ambrose anymore. I don't want either of you to get hurt." DG was dragging her feet now.

"Is he very different then?" The Queen stopped and turned back to look at DG.

"I don't know, I didn't know him before. I just know that you have to be patient with him. He doesn't always remember things and it frustrated him…he…he couldn't remember your name when he tried to tell me. He is always asking people that he's with if they've met. I just want you to be prepared." DG searched her mother's eyes for a clue to what she was thinking. She didn't have to search long.

"Thank you DG. I am very proud of you to want to protect me and your friend. Please understand that he is my friend too, my family. Just because he's been hurt or because he can't remember things does not make this less so. So as much as you want to protect him so do I." The Queen was straight to the point and DG got it.

DG took her mother by the hand and lead the way.

Out side the castle the celebrating was over. The rebels had cheered when the sun had reappeared now they were collecting the wounded and counting the dead. Jeb had been keeping one eye on the castle hoping to see a sign that his father was alive. Now he was trying to get one of his men back to safety, away from the long coats who were still fighting for the witch. He carried the man pulled the man back hauling him with one of the man's arms over his shoulder.

All of what seemed like a sudden the man's weight lessened. Jeb looked over and found his father lifting the man from the other side. "Where are we taking him?"

"The tree line." Jeb kept moving only now at a quicker rate.

The Queen and DG made it to the entrance of the castle where they found that some of the long coats were still fighting the rebels and others were standing around looking confused. "I guess some of them must have been under spells." DG observed.

"Do you see him?" The queen craned her neck trying to see.

"There." DG pointed and the Queen could make out a long brown coat and his wild hair. Glitch was down leaning over one of the wounded rebels. Then they watched as a long coat came up behind him.

"Oh no! Glitch!!" DG shouted trying in vain to help. The next thing DG knew Glitch had swept the legs out from under the long coat. DG was taken a back as Glitch took out the long coat and then to more with very graceful and precise kicks and punches. "Where did he learn to do that?" DG wondered aloud.

"That is very interesting indeed." The Queen wondered what other things Ambrose had picked up in the long years he wondered around The OZ with only half a brain.

Cain helped lay the man down with the other wound back behind the trees. Other men and some women tended to them. Jeb thank his father and started back out to the fight. Cain started to follow but stopped short sucking in a sharp breath. "What is it?" Jeb turned to him.

"It's nothing.' Cain tried to straighten up and keep going.

"It's not nothing. Let me see." Jeb put a hand on his father's chest to stop him.

"Look I'll live, it's not that bad. You've got wounded out there that are much worse so lets go help them." Cain looked sternly at his son and Jeb relented.

"Fine but you'll get it taken care of when this is done." Jeb was concerned for his father, in a new way, he didn't want to loose him again.

"I will." Cain agreed and Jeb went on a head. Cain lifted his coat and saw the blood staining his shirt. He prepared himself, he'd had worse wounds.

DG called to glitch as he got closer to the castle. DG didn't want to leave her mother alone so they waited. "Glitch!" He finally heard her and turned towards her voice which a devious long coat took advantage of hitting Glitch in the back and dropping the small thin man to the ground.

The Queen lost her royal composure for the second time this time she ran out of the castle and into the fight. "Stop!" She shouted and her presence made nearly everyone stop what they were doing except DG who ran after her and Glitch who looked up from the ground to see what was going on.

He smiled at her and she stopped and smiled at him. "Have we met my name's Glitch?"

"Oh Ambrose." The Queen's voice caught in her throat.

The Long coats who had stopped what they were doing were now surrounding the Queen…


	3. Three

I would like to thank SEEKER-2000, Laby Anne Boleyn, and MoonRose91 for their reviews!

Stitches 3

It slowly dawned on Glitch what was going on. It was the Queen standing in front of him and she was in trouble. He tried to get up, but one of the long coats had a shock stick which didn't hesitate to use on Glitch. Glitches tried a second time but the shock surging threw him made his muscles spasm and go limp, he didn't have the strength to try again. He saw at thankfully before he blacked out that DG was by the Queen's side.

The Queen stood proud even as the tears filled her eyes. Why was it that ever since the witch came into their lives no matter what her intentions the ones she loved always got hurt.

"The Witch is gone." She said in her regal voice.

The huge men that surrounded her and her daughter didn't seem fazed by the news. "Did you hear me, The Sorceress Azkadellia is gone. She no longer commands you. I am the Queen you do as I say now stop and surrender yourselves." Some of the men looked around unsure of what to do, others looked just as bloodthirsty as before the Queen had spoke.

DG squeezed her mother's arm then grabbed her hand. "She said stop!" With those words a burst of brilliant light came from DG and seemed to stun the group of long coats surrounding them and the long coats still fighting with the rebels.

Cain looked around as the long coat he'd been fighting to get to DG and the Queen seemed to get dizzy and fall over with all the other long coats. "Nice DG"

DG looked around at what she'd done. "Well done dear." The Queen hugged DG. "There's no way I could have done that with out you."

"Jeb get some of your men to start tying these long coats up. Line them up against the wall." Cain ordered. "Are you ladies alright, what are you doing out here?" Cain stepped over and around the bodies on the ground.

The Queen didn't hear the question she'd left DG's side and knelt down by an unconscious Glitch.

"She wanted to see Ambrose." DG said her voice full of concern.

"Does she know?" Cain alluded to the fact that Ambrose was no longer Ambrose.

"I told her she said she it didn't matter, he was family." DG looked over at Cain who seemed to be breathing heavier than normal. And his usually stony face was instead grimaced.

"Are you alright?" DG touched his arm and he flinched away from her.

"I'm fine. Let's go check on them." He walked towards the Queen and Glitch ignoring his own pain and her concern.

"If the witch is gone the monkeys should be gone." Az said in a hushed voice to her father.

"Yes dear but your mother said we should make sure just incase." Ahamo spoke in an equally hushed tone, in attempt to comfort his traumatized daughter and to not be heard by henchmen who might be lurking in the castle.

"Why should we look for them?" Az seemed to not be able to reason.

"The monkeys were connected to the witch. If we find them we might be able to tell if she's gone for good." Ahamo explained.

Az couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her; it was making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She wished all the monkeys were dead. She wanted this all to be over. She wanted to get out of the heavy chain male she was wearing. She wanted to curl up in her bed and make everyone leave her alone. She was scared and she wanted to cry.

In all their searching for any flying monkey's they forgot to look behind them.

"Ambrose?" The Queen knelt down and role Glitch over onto his back. "Wake up." She said gently slapping at his thin hand. Cain came and stood behind her. DG knelt down on his other side.

"Glitch wake up." DG touched his shoulder. Glitch started to cough.

"Man I hate those shock sticks." He groaned and turned over onto his side and coughed a bit more. Opening his eyes he looked up into lavender ones.

"Do you know me?" The Queen asked.

"Have we met before?" Glitch looked at her questioningly.

"Yes but it's been quite sometime since we last saw one another." The Queen smiled softly and Glitch tried to return her smile even with questions in his eyes.

"Are we friends?"

"yes very close friends. I confided in you all my secrets." Glitch stared up at her beautiful eyes.

"Oh." Glitch started to look frustrated.

Cain reached down and took Glitches arm. "Come on buddy lets get you up." Cain pulled the not surprisingly light Glitch to his feet. When Glitch seemed to sway a bit so Cain rapped Glitches arm around his neck. "I'm going to take him inside."

DG helped her mother up off the ground. The Queen wiped tears from her lavender eyes. "I'm sorry Mom."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, you warned me. It was just a bit of a shock is all."

"I know" DG put he arm around her mother. "Lets go see if we can help out."

Cain sat Glitch down in a chair inside the doorway. He sag. "You going to be alright buddy?" the Tin man asked.

"Yeah, yeah I just feel kinda boneless." Glitch looked up weakly.

"Just relax you'll feel better soon." Cain started to go back outside to help with tying up the long coats when Az and Ahamo came around the corner.

"Have you seen the Queen we can't seem to find her?" Ahamo asked the tin man. "We didn't find any monkeys."

"I..I…" Glitch started from his seat behind Cain. "I think they found you." The other three turned to look and as they did. Three monkeys swooped down off the ceiling and grabbed Az by the arms and her hair.

The tramatized young woman screamed. Her father and Cain try to hold onto her but the monkeys were strong pulling her up into the air and back down the hall. Neither man could keep hole of her. They ran down the hallway trying not to loose sight of the girl.

Glitch tried to follow but after getting out of the chair his legs wobbled to much for him to stay up right and he dropped to the ground like a rag doll.

"Glitch are you alright?" DG had come in the castle with the Queen to find Glitch spralled on the floor.

"they took her." He said in a panic.

"Took who? What?" DG asked.

"The girl…the witch…Azkadellia, The monkeys took Azkadellia." He pointed down the hallway. DG Followed his gazed, looked at him and her mother and then followed after Cain and Ahamo.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for your support everyone who's waiting, favoriting, and reviewing the story. I really hope to get more up, my internet access is sporadic so I can't post as regularly as I'd like. I'm making this up as I go and have no really plans for what's going to happen or the out come of It all. If you have any suggestions please let me know. Also I'm sorry for typos you might find, I'm trying to get these out fast.

Part 4

"Can you walk?" the Queen asked the man at her feet.

"Yes your Majesty." Glitch pushed himself up onto his hands and knees.

"You know me." The Queen was surprised. Glitch started to get up but was unsteady on his feet.

"Yes you're the Queen." Glitch said matter of factly. The Queen took his arm to help him with his balance.

"You did not know me outside." They walked down the hall after the others.

"I didn't?" Glitch looked at her puzzled.

"No you did not." The Queen said softly.

"I'm sorry it's this brain of mind, sometimes I forget things your majesty. I didn't mean any disrespect." Glitch walked with the help of the queen and his hand out to feel for the wall. "I think my half a brain's been rattled in my head, I can't seem to walk straight."

"You may have hit your head." The queen guessed. Glitch tried to nod but regretted it.

"I'm sorry for everything that's happened, every thing that's happened." Glitch glitched.

"So am I." the Queen held tight to the young man's arm as they followed down the hall.

* * *

Az screamed the monkey's picked and pulled at her hair. She had her eyes shut tight trying to escape the hideous creatures but she could feel their little fingers all over her body. They had taken her up high into the castle and perched her in an ornate chandelier in a dining hall. She gripped the chain in hung on for dear life as tears dripped down her cheeks and landed on the hard wood long table twenty feet below.

"Hang on Darling." Ahamo stared up at his eldest daughter and felt helpless. Cain and DG were right behind him.

"OH No what are we going to do?" DG gaped, Azkedelia was so high they'd never be able to reach her.

"What do those monkey bat creatures want?" Cain searched the room for something that would help them. He knew he couldn't shoot them there was too much of a risk of hitting Az.

"I thought the witch was gone, why aren't they gone?" Ahamo was starting to panic. "The witch is gone right?" The three monkeys started to rock the chandelier and Az who had been clenching her teeth started screaming again.

"She melted in front of my eyes." DG couldn't take her eyes off of Az, she bit her lip in frustration.

"She melted?" Cain said surprised.

"Yeah it was weird the power in the sunseeder died and she melted into nothing." DG explained what she'd seen but didn't understand.

"So that means she might still be around. Damn." Cain said nervously, apparently this was long from over.

"I was working under the assumption that with out Az the witch wasn't strong enough to live on her own."

"That's an awful big assumption." Cain said through his teeth as pain throbbed through his shoulder.

Az let out another ear shattering scream that brought everyone back to the matter at hand.

"It'll be alright Az." DG tried to assure her sister.

"How do you distract a monkey bat?" Ahamo asked no one in particular.

"Those are mobats, and once the little beasties are set on a task they'll stop at nothing to preform it to completion." Glitch explained as he leaned against the door jamb.

"Does that mean that this is the bidding of the witch?" The Queen left Glitch's side to look up at her frightened and tormented daughter.

"Postmortem?" Glitch asked.

"There's a reasonable doubt that the witch might not be gone." Cain interjected.

"What?" The Queen and Glitch gasped.

"Az and I saw her melt." DG explain as they all looked up at Az.

"I have only heard of one other case of melting and some say there was reasonable doubt behind that death as well." The queen sighed heavily. "What are we to do?"

"We need to get Raw, he might be able to sense the witch out." Glitch suggested.

The mobats were not giving any clues as to what their mission was. Cain had a sick feeling they were holding Az so that the witch could repossess the princess.

"What are we going to do about Az?" DG asked.

"I think we should leave her there as bate. They aren't hurting her, she's in no real danger as long as she stays still. We can post guards all over the room to watch for the witch. Then we can figure out what to do about the mobats." Cain gave his professional opinion.

The royal family looked up at Az and each came to the conclusion that this hard as it was to put Az through was probably the safest thing they could do for now. At least they'd be able to keep an eye on her.

"hang in there Az." DG hollered encouragement up to her sister.

* * *

The Chandelier rocked gently back and forth. Az wept weakly as Ahamo and Toto stood watch under her in the dining hall. Toto in his dog form checked the perimeter of the hall searching for disturbances. Ahamo wearily kept one eye on the mobat who circled the hall and seemed to be watching him.

* * *

"It's dark down here." Glitch said as his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the underground halls of the castle. He, DG, and Raw were searching for signs of the witch. "Why did we have to start down here?" Glitch sounded like a frightened.

"Because the witch likes the dark." DG explained she held up the lantern she brought hoping that would help with everyone's unease.

"She liked this area a great deal." Raw spoke softly in his lilting voice. He led the way. DG kept hold of Glitch he kept checking back over his shoulder and didn't seem to sure on his feet. DG felt more apprehension the deeper they went into the winding halls. The dark seemed to get denser and denser. DG wishes Cain could have come with them.

* * *

Cain and the Queen had gathered the rebels in the great hall. Cain sat uncomfortably in a high backed wooden chair in front of the group. The Queen stood and addressed them. "I would like to extend my sincerest thanks to all of you for what you've done today. You have displayed courage that will not be soon forgotten."

The Rebels cheered. Jeb clapped for his men and watched his father who had shut his eyes.

"I have for you if you wish to accept it a new mission." The hall quieted and waited. "We need to determine if the Witch is in fact gone for good. We need brave men and women who are loyal to the thrown to help flush out and protect the O Z from Its enemies. Will you stand with us?" The Queen called to the rebels who intern one by one took a knee and swore an oath to the Queen.

"Thank you my friends." The queen stepped aside and waited to Cain to take the floor.

Cain got up from his seat slowly. "We need ten good men upstairs in the top dining hall to guard the princess. Others will be placed at strategic points around the castle to stand guard and the remainder will watch the long coats until it has been determined what is to be done with them. Jeb will you and nine others of your choosing go up to the princess." Cain looked to his son who nodded and pointed to nine others who followed him. Cain walked down into the crowd of rebels. "You five at the main entrance. You three second floor landing." Cain assigned each person. "Be on the look out for the witch and any of her minons that might still be around." Cain instructed and then sent all of them to their posts.

* * *

"Oh my." Raw stopped suddenly in front of DG causing her to walk straight into him and Glitch who wasn't watching where he was going to walk into her.

"What is it Raw is it the witch?" DG tried to see past Raw into the room up ahead. The basement hall had become very narrow and there was no room to get past the big man lion.

"It's not the witch but it's something of her creating. Pain and anguish." Raw spoke cryptically. "We should go back." Raw was becoming agitated with whatever was in front of them.

"Guys?" Glitch whispered at the others in a panicked tone. "Guys!"

"What is it Glitch?" DG asked turning with her lantern. Glitch's knees were knocking as he pointed out into the darkness back the way they came.

"Something's following us."


	5. five

Thanks for reading. Thanks for Reviewing

Part 5

DG held the lantern up as high as she could but she could see through the thick darkness. She was starting to feel claustrophobic. It was like she was back in the coffin. They couldn't go forward Raw was disturbed by whatever was up there and now they couldn't go back.

There was something out there just like glitch had said DG could see it now moving towards them. Glitch and Raw were close behind her trying to be brave. "What is it?" Glitch asked quizzically about the unknown. "Can't we keep going."

"We should go back the way we came." Raw said forcefully leaving them with no options. DG was scared. Her heart started to race the darkness was closing in. She was sure this was it the witch was coming to get them and she didn't know how to fight it. Just as Glitch sucked in a breath and held it in anticipation of the horrors that were about to happen the lights came on. The three of them flinched back, surprised by the brightness that had come so abruptly. The menace stood in front of them his hand on the massive switch that turned on the lights.

They all let out a sign of relief. "Kalm." Raw stepped forward. "What are you doing? I told you to stay upstairs. "I wanted to help…" Kalm started but couldn't finish. His eyes got big as he looked past Raw and saw what the witch had been keeping in the basement.

* * *

Cain escorted the Queen back up to the dining hall with the ten guards including Jeb. "You'll need to watch out for the mobats. I think they're waiting for the witch. We've got people looking through the castle for signs of her."

In the hall Jeb was astonished to she the princess Azkadelia high up in a chandelier surrounded by gargoyle like creatures.

"Shouldn't we be trying to get her down?" Jeb asked his father.

"Yes, but there's no safe way to get her away from the mobats. I think the most productive think to do until we learn if the witch is gone is to leave the princess where she is." Cain said curtly. It had been a very long day, hell it had been a very long eight years and Cain was starting to feel it.

"Alright if you think that's best." Jeb conceded. Cain patted his son on the back and watched as the younger man went and set his men up.

"How long do you think DG and the others will be?" The Queen looked up at Az who was clinging tight to the chandelier with her eyes squeezed shut. Cain pulled a chair out from the table and offered it to the queen.

"I don't know your Majesty, but I think I'll go have a look around myself." Cain said as he nodded to Ahamo who'd come to stand by the queen. Cain took one last look around the huge dining room and then went to look around.

Ahamo stood next to the Queen. "The Suns will be setting soon. We should find you some food and a place to sleep my dear."

"There is no time. I will not sleep until my children and my kingdom are safe." The Queen stated royally.

"Yes I thought you'd say that." Ahamo's look turned sad. He hope some day soon they could all return to the normal lives they'd once shared.

* * *

The young viewer wasn't strong enough to fight the surge of emotions that flooded him. He started to fall and Raw caught the boy.

"What's wrong?" DG asked. Raw started to look back at her but quickly averted his eyes from her direction. DG now had to look behind her.

Glitch who'd been concerned with Kalm who seemed to have fainted became interested in what DG was looking at. "What everyone so interested in?" He said feeling left out. What was behind him was terrifying on more levels then he would care to think about.

DG was repulsed and confounded. Chained on both sides of the hallway were pale, drooling, thin, ragged, dead eyed zipper heads for as far as they could see in front of them. "OH my goodness." DG stepped back and covered her mouth. Glitch stood there frozen; unable to form thoughts in his head so profound was the sight.

The prisoners stood up straight bound by chains around their chests to the stone walls but they seemed lifeless and slack in their chains. Glitch's eyes went from one face to the next, he seemed almost to remember some of them. Their dead eyes and stillness were haunting. He felt someone grab his arm but he couldn't seem to pull himself away. He started to walk forward and the hand holding his arm dug nails into his arm sharp through his thread bare clothes trying to stop him. He could hear someone yelling but it sounded distant and he couldn't make out the words so he ignored it.

He was walking threw the zipper heads like he was looking for something, like he had to make it to the end of them. They were all so still like statues, like stuffed men, dummies. The hands were around his arm again suddenly stopping him from going further. He looked into the face of the nearest zipper head looking for answers. It was when the zipper head looked back at him that he jumped and came back to his senses.

DG dragged Glitch back down the hallway, through what had been next to dead men. No as they ran they fought back flailing limbs of one Zipper Head after another. They came to life one at a time down the line, their eyes moved to look at DG and Glitch and them they started grabbing at the two fleeing until they had pasted and then the next one animated.

When they made it to the end of the hallway Glitch practically collapsed, DG held the scrawny man up and pulled him a long. "Let's get out of here now." DG called to Raw who was up ahead of them with Kalm in his arms.

* * *

Cain was walking down the stairs to the basement level when Raw came tearing up the stairs. "Whoa, what's happened?" Cain looked at the boy in Raw's arms and feared the worst. Then DG came behind Raw. "Kid, what's going on? Is it the witch?" DG shook her head and followed Cain back up the stairs.

"No it wasn't her or well I don't think it was, I don't know." DG tried to understand what went on down there, but she was too worked up to think about it rationally. When they got up to the first floor they stopped and caught their breath.

"What's do there?" Cain asked again, concerned for everyone's safty.

"Them, Them, Them, They, they, I, I, I" Glitch babbled bewildered.

"Ok who's them?" Cain demanded. Glitch shook his head unable to form coherent thoughts. DG looked to Raw and Cain followed. Raw had laid Kalm down.

"They were the brainless, like Glitch. Only worse, more brainless. The witch must have been keeping them…storing them for something." Raw explained. "All that was left of them was their residual agony."

Glitch found himself staring at the floor. "was that the witch down there, DG? I know we didn't see her, but was she there…in them? In them?"

DG Thought back to what they'd seen. "It might have been. It seemed like something was controlling them."

"Great an Army of bodies at her disposal." Cain cursed under his breath, today just wasn't getting any easier.

"What do we do now?" DG asked allowed.

Glitch looked at her with pleading eyes. "I'm not going back down there."

* * *

Az seemed to be staying calm. In fact everyone in the dining hall seemed to be a bit too calm. Even the mobats seemed to be at ease. The Queen felt her thoughts seem to slow. She wondered what was going on, She thought perhaps it was just because she was tired. But she couldn't seem to come out of her fog. The guards all around the room seemed to be relaxing. Jeb stood the straightest with the most alert eyes. But even he was starting to fade, he wanted to say something, wanted to call his men to attention but he didn't have the energy. It was when the queen herself slumped in her chair and no one did anything about it that Jeb knew something wasn't right. He didn't have long to think about it his men dropped to the floor one by one. Then the mobats started to drop out of the air. There wasn't time to figure out away to get Az down before Jeb hit the floor with a thud. 


End file.
